Long travel draft gear



June 30, 1964 H. J. MAY 3,

LONG TRAVEL DRAFT GEAR Filed April 9, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

fi ag xwa M4) M JIM June 30, 1964 H. J. MAY

LONG TRAVEL DRAFT GEAR 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 9, 1962 June 30, 1964 H. J. MAY

LONG TRAVEL DRAFT GEAR 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 9, 1962 IN VEN TOR. //0 mama J. Mar

3,139,193 LUNG TRAVEL DRAFT GEAR Howard J. May, South Bend, 1nd,, assignor, by mesne assignments, to AQF Industries, Incorporated, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Apr. 9, 1962, ar. No. 186,141 12 Claims. (tCl. 213-43) This invention relates to shock protection to railroad cars. More particularly, this invention relates to a modification of a draft gear pocket at the end of a center sill toextend a standard coupler and thereby allow the coupler to travel through a greater distance when under the effect of impact forces.

The impact-cushioning ability of the draft gear is approximately equivalent to the amount of energy that is can absorb during a closure movement of the gear. A severe limitation in this respect is the maximum draft gear pocket length imposed by the car construction standards of the Association of American Railroads. A further limitation on the draft gear cushioning capacity is the car underframe strength. My invention vitiates these limitations by mounting a novel type of draft gear in a standard center sill such that increased strength is given to said sill and increased stroke is permitted with said draft gear.

Heretofore it has been thought that the impact forces applied to a railroad car could be best absorbed by incorporating a lengthy sliding sill arrangement. While such devices are effective, the expenses and added structure have been a deterrent to success. My invention, however, eliminates these deterrents, as it is a principal object of my invention to combine a draft gear and cushioning device to dissipate impact forces applied to a railroad car.

It is another object to mount a railroad car coupler such that it is capable of greater travel than heretofore thought possible.

Still another object of my invention is to incorporate, with a center sill structure of a railroad car, a translatable housing adjacent the open end of the sill.

It is also an object of this invention to utilize a resiliently biased housing to mount a coupler to a center sill of a railroad car.

A further object of my invention is to mount a coupler to a housing that is spring biased away from the open end of a center sill of a railroad car and positioned by a cushioning arrangement to limit the extended distance of said coupler from said center sill and damp movement of said housing towards said sill.

Other and further objects will appear to those skilled in the art from the following description of the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic view of a coupling arrangement for railroad cars embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side sectioned view of a railroad car United States Patent employing a cushioning arrangement in accordance with shown having wheel trucks 12 mounted by any known means to center sills 14. These center sills, as are best seen in FIGURE 2, are provided with the usual complement of structure, such as striker face 16 and center filler 3,l39,i93 Patented June 30, 19fi4 18. However, the center filler is provided with lugs 29 and 22 which project outwardly from the sides of the sills i4, as seen in FIGURES 2 and 3.

As may be seen in the drawings, the standard type of draft gear has been removed from the pockets in the ends of the center sill usuallyaccommodating such mechanisms. In their place a translatable housing 24 which is channel shaped and has outwardly extending flanges, as shown in FIG. 4, is provided, which housing 24 does not completely'fill said pocket, but is rather dimensioned so that it allows twin shock absorbers 26 and 28 to fully stroke, which stroke may be twenty inches ormore, similar to center sill cushions.

The housing 24 is provided with draft key slots 30, and where necessary in order to maintain the housing strength, reinforcements 32 and 34 are welded about the slots 30. A spring 36 is placed within the open end of the center sill 14, and the spring 36 is compressed between plate 38 and the center filler 18. The plate 38 is welded to the housing and also functions as a bearing plate for a standard coupler 40. The housing 24 is also provided with a striker ring 42 similar to the striker face 16 of the center sill i4. Striker ring 42 is positioned to engage striker face 316 after a buff stroke of 20 inches or more.

In order that the coupler 40 may be interrelated with the housing 24 and the center sill 14, the coupler is slotted, as seen in FIGURE 3 at 44, and an enlongated draft key 46 passes through the housing slot 34 and the coupler slot 44. The elongated draft key is also connected, as by pins 48 and 59, to forward yokes 52 and 54 of shock absorbers 26 and 28, respectively.

To join the coupler and housing to the center sill they are forced towards the sill to compress spring 36 until the rear yokes 5d and 58 of the shock absorbers 26 and 28 can be connected, as by pins 60 and 62, to the lugs Zli and 22 of the center sill 14. Thus shock absorbers 26 and 28 are mounted at one end on housing 24 and at their other end on center sill 14. In order to confine the housing within the sill 14, support members 64, see FIGURES 2 and 4, are welded to the sill 14.

As seen in FIGURE 2, a rubber spring cartridge is connected to housing 24 centrally thereof to translate with said housing in the buff direction. The rubber spring cartridge can be formed of a plurality of rubber grommets 66 connected by a through bolt 67 with an end fitting 68, which end fitting connects the rubber spring cartridge to said housing. In addition, the rubber spring 65 is adapted to contact the striker face 16 and be compressed theretowards when the coupler 40 undergoes a draft extension, which operation adds to the draft absorbing qualities of the shock absorbers 26 and 28. This rubber cartridge also recenters the draft gear unit after draft forces are relieved.

As may also be seen in FIGURE 2, the shock absorbers 26 and 28 may take the following form: Shock absorber 28 includes a cylindrical housing 70 terminating in the yoke fitting 54 at one end and terminatiing in an end cap 72 at the other end, which end cap is threaded to the housing 70. A piston 74 having an orifice 76 is slidably contained by said housing 70, and piston 74 has a tubular extension 78 projecting therefrom to pass through end cap '72. The extension 78, terminates in a yoke 58 mounted as above. In addition, the passageway 8t within the extension 78 is connected by a conduit 82 to an accumulator 84, which accumulator receives fluid displaced from housing 70 by stroking of the piston 74. Furthermore, the shock absorbers or energy dissipative devices, as they may be called, provide resistance in draft by the gradual closing of metering holes 86 to restrict flow of fluid from chamber 85, as by the leftward movement of end cap 72 as seen in FIGURE 2, which holes 86 do "2 m3 not at any time open to other than Within the cylinder 7i), and in order to protect the shock absorbers 2.6 and 28 dust shrouds 88 are provided, as in FIGURES 2 and 3. It is to be understood, as shown in the broken section of the shock absorber of FIGURE 2, that appropriate seals are provided for the shock absorbers and end cap 72 is spaced from piston 74 to permit a relatively short draft movement.

By way of explaining the operation of my device, let us assume a buff force being applied to coupler 40. The coupler 40 moves towards sill 14, and after the key 46 is contacted, the housing 24 is carried along. The key 46 can move into the sill 14 due to cutouts 90 in the sides of the striker face 16 leading to. slots (not shown) in the center sill 14. Prior to contact of key 46 with the end of the slots, the maximum permissible travel of housing 24 has occurred. During the translation of the coupler and housing, the spring 36 and the shock absorbers 26 and 28 are being compressed, and compression of the shock absorber causes a metering pin 75 to vary the area of orifice 76, and the fluid passing through orifice 76 dissipates impact energy. Metering pin 75 has a stepped taper and is shown as having different tapers along three portions thereof for varying the rate of change of the area of orifice 76 during the stroke of the metering pin. The fluid that has passed through orifice 76 is conducted by the passageways 80 and 82 to the accumulator $4 and to a variable volume chamber 85 by way of radial passages 86. After the buff forces are relieved the spring 36, which has stored the impact forces, extends the shock absorbers, etc.

If a draft force is encountered, the rubber spring cartridge acts in conjunction with the shock absorber to resist extension of the coupler in that radial passages 86 are progressively closed to restrict the flow of fluid from within chamber 85 behind the piston 74 to the passageway 86 or the main fluid chamber. It is of interest to note that immediate draft reaction may be obtained by variably porting chamber 85 regardless of the position of the shock absorber due to the connection of cylinder 70 with coupler 40 through key 46 which causes the end cap 72 to progressively close passages 36.

As other variations are possible I do not intend to be limited by the forgoing description but rather by the appended claims.

I claim:

I. A railroad car draft gear comprising:

a center sill structure having a striker face mounted to the open end of said center sill and a center filler mounted within said center sill and displaced from said striker face;

an elongated channel shaped housing having a bearing plate fixed centrally thereof;

a support member mounting said housing within said sill for reciprocating movement of said housing within said sill;

a spring means compressed between said housing bearing plate and said center filler; V

a rubber means mounted to said housing and arranged to abut with said center sill striker face when'said housing is being pulled from within said center sill; and

fluid shock absorbers mounted to said housing and said center sill sides to resist movement of said housing towards said center sill.

2. A railroad car draft gear comprising:

a coupler; V

a center sill structure;

a housing resiliently mounted within an open end of said center sill for sliding movement of 20 inches into said center sill in response to buff forces, said housing being adapted to support said coupler;

a pair of fluid type shock absorbers each havinga cushioning stroke of at least 20 inches connected to the sides of said housing and said center sill to resist buff movement of said housing with respect to said center sill; and resilient cushioning means connected between said center sill and housing for providing cushioning travel in response to draft forces on said coupler.

3. A railroad car draft gear according to claim 2 wherein said fluid type shock absorbers include:

a cylinder attached to said housing and closed at both ends;

a piston adapted to reciprocate within said cylinder, said piston having a tubular extension fixed thereto projecting through one of said ends of said cylinder to connect with said sill, said tubular extension having a passageway connecting a metering orifice in said piston with an outlet port;

an accumulator; and

a conduit connecting the outlet port of the passageway of said tubular extension with said accumulator.

. 4. A railroad car draft gear according to claim 2 wherein said fluid type shock absorber comprises:

an accumulator;

a reciprocating cylinder attached to said housing;

a piston having an orifice therethrough, Which piston divides said cylinder into two variable volume chambers;

a metering pin attached to said cylinder and operatively associated with the orifice of said piston to vary the orifice area upon reciprocation of said cylinder; and

a tubular extension attached to said piston and said center sill, said tubular extension having radial passages in the walls thereof and a bore in fluid flow relationship with the orifice of said piston to communicate one of said variable volume chambers with the other of said variable volume chambers and said accumulator. f

5. A shock absorber according to claim 4 wherein said metering pin has different tapers along different portions thereof to vary the rate of change of the effective area of the orifice in said piston upon pushing of said cylinder by said housing.

6. A railroad car comprising:

a center sill having an open end;

' an elongated housing mounted on said center sill at the open end thereof for sliding movement longi tudinally along said center sill;

a coupler;

resilient means connected between said housing and said center sill for urging the housing outwardly from said center sill;

a draft key connecting said coupler to said housing and extending laterally through opposite sides of said housing;

a pair of hydraulic shock absorbers mounted parallel to said center sill on opposite sides thereof, each shock absorber being connected at one end to said center sill and at the other end to one end of said draft key,

each of said hydraulic shock absorbers having a cushioning stroke of at least 10 inches in response to buff forces; and

cushioning means mounted between said housing and center sill for cushioning draft forces and limiting draft movement therebetween. to a distance which is small relative to the buff stroke of said hydraulic cushioning means.

7. In a railroad car a draft gear comprising:

a center sill fixed to said car having an open end;

an elongated housing mounted on said center sill at the open end thereof for sliding movement longitudinally along said center sill;

a coupler;

resilient means connected between said housing and said center sill for urging the housing outwardly from said center sill;

a draft key connecting said coupler to said housing and extending laterally on opposite sides of said housing;

a pair of hydraulic shock absorbers mounted parallel to said center sill on opposite sides thereof, each shock absorber being connected at one end to said center sill and at the other end to one end of said draft key,

each of said hydraulic shock absorbers having a cushioning stroke of at least inches in response to bulf forces;

said shock absorbers including hydraulic cushioning means for cushioning draft forces and limiting draft movement between said housing and said center sill to a distance which is small relative to the buff stroke of said hydraulic cushioning means.

8. A draft gear according to claim 7, including compressible cushioning means for cushioning draft forces applied to said center still by said coupler.

9. A draft gear according to claim 8 wherein said hydraulic cushioning means for cushioning draft forces includes a chamber having fluid conducting ports and means for progressively closing said ports during a draft movement of said hydraulic cushioning means.

10. A railroad car comprising:

a center sill attached to the underside of said car;

an elongated member mounted on said center sill at one end thereof for sliding movement longitudinally along said center sill;

a coupler;

spring means connected between said member and said center sill for urging said member outwardly from said center sill;

a draft key connecting said coupler to said member and extending laterally of said member;

a hydraulic shock absorber mounted parallel to said center sill and connected at one end to said center sill and at the other end to one end of said draft key,

said hydraulic shock absorber being capable of providing a cushioning stroke of at least 10 inches in a response to buff forces; and

cushioning means for cushioning draft forces and limiting draft movement between said member and said center sill to a distance which is small relative to the buff stroke of said hydraulic cushioning means.

11. A railroad car comprising:

a center sill having a hollow end;

an elongated housing mounted in the hollow end of said center sill for sliding movement longitudinally therein;

a coupler;

spring means in said center sill between said housing and said center sill for urging the housing outwardly from said center sill;

a draft key connecting said coupler to said housing and extending transversely through opposite sides of said housing;

a pair of hydraulic shock absorbers mounted on opposite sides of said center sill, each shock absorber being connected at one end to said center sill and at the other end to one end of said draft key,

each of said hydraulic shock absorbers being adapted to provide a cushioning stroke of up to 20 inches in response to bulf forces; and

rubber cushioning means mounted between said housing and center sill for cushioning draft forces and limiting draft movement therebetween to a distance which is small relative to the stroke of said hydraulic cushioning means.

12. A railroad car comprising:

a center sill having an open end;

an elongated housing mounted on said center sill at the open end thereof for sliding movement longitudinally along said center sill;

a coupler,

resilient means connected between said housing and said center sill for urging the housing outwardly from said center sill;

a draft key connecting said coupler to said housing and extending laterally through opposite sides of said housing;

a pair of hydraulic shock absorbers mounted parallel to said center sill on opposite sides thereof, each shock absorber being connected at one end to said center sill and at the other end to one end of said draft key; and

cushioning means mounted between said housing and center sill for cushioning draft forces and limiting draft movement therebetween to a distance which is small relative to the buff stroke of said hydraulic cushioning means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,563,518 Dicker-man Aug. 7, 1951 2,918,182 Conner et al Dec. 22, 1959 2,944,681 Blake July 12, 1960 3,028,019 Settles et al. Apr. 3, 1962 3,033,384 Zanow et a1. May 8, 1962 

7. IN A RAILROAD CAR A DRAFT GEAR COMPRISING: A CENTER SILL FIXED TO SAID CAR HAVING AN OPEN END; AN ELONGATED HOUSING MOUNTED ON SAID CENTER SILL AT THE OPEN END THEREOF FOR SLIDING MOVEMENT LONGITUDINALLY ALONG SAID CENTER SILL; A COUPLER; RESILIENT MEANS CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID HOUSING AND SAID CENTER SILL FOR URGING THE HOUSING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID CENTER SILL; A DRAFT KEY CONNECTING SAID COUPLER TO SAID HOUSING AND EXTENDING LATERALLY ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID HOUSING; A PAIR OF HYDRAULIC SHOCK ABSORBERS MOUNTED PARALLEL TO SAID CENTER SILL ON OPPOSITE SIDES THEREOF, EACH SHOCK ABSORBER BEING CONNECTED AT ONE END TO SAID CENTER SILL AND AT THE OTHER END TO ONE END OF SAID DRAFT KEY, EACH OF SAID HYDRAULIC SHOCK ABSORBERS HAVING A CUSHIONING STROKE OF AT LEAST 10 INCHES IN RESPONSE TO BUFF FORCES; SAID SHOCK ABSORBERS INCLUDING HYDRAULIC CUSHIONING MEANS FOR CUSHIONING DRAFT FORCES AND LIMITING DRAFT MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID HOUSING AND SAID CENTER SILL TO A DISTANCE WHICH IS SMALL RELATIVE TO THE BUFF STROKE OF SAID HYDRAULIC CUSHIONING MEANS. 